Notes from the Nest: Arizona Cardinals practice – Nov. 21

By Adam Green | November 21, 2013 at 9:30 pmUPDATED: November 22, 2013 at 4:06 pm

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Cardinals practiced next to the bubble as they prepare for a big game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Of Note:

– Poor Patrick Peterson has to go from field to field for different drills. The cost of versatility, I guess.

– Hard to see who was out there and who wasn’t in the portion of practice that was open to the media, but all the key guys who have been battling a variety of ailments of late looked like they were ready to go. Mike Gibson, who missed Wednesday due to illness, was also back on the field. * Turns out Justin Bethel (concussion) did not practice.

– Kicker Jay Feely spent part of the time catching passes thrown by Daryl Washington, many of which were one-handed grabs.

Stat of the Day

The Colts have beaten the Cardinals the last four times the teams have played. Prior to that, though, the Cardinals had won the previous four meetings.

Quote of the Day

“Uh, yeah, keep him away from the quarterback,” Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin said when asked if he has any special instructions for his line as it prepares to face sack artist Robert Mathis. “One thing about Robert, he’s like the Energizer Bunny: He never stops. That guy goes constantly every play, and when he gets tired, he goes out and then he comes back even stronger. We’ve got to do a great job on him.”

It was a curious game from the beginning, as Cards coach Dennis Green decided to bench starting QB Josh McCown in favor of Shaun King. Though McCown had not been posting great numbers, the Cardinals were on two-game winning streak and improved to 4-5 before heading to Carolina. It didn’t matter.

Nick Goings, who used to play running back, scored three first-half touchdowns and fueled the Panthers to a 28-0 lead at the intermission. Down four touchdowns, King hit Larry Fitzgerald for a 21-yard score in the third, and a 28-yard field goal from Neil Rackers brought the Cardinals to within 28-10. That was as close as the Cards would get, though, as Mushin Muhammad’s fourth-quarter touchdown reception — his second score of the game — would be the final points of the contest.

For the game, King completed 28-of-52 passes for 343 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Fitzgerald’s seven catches for 92 yards and a score led the way, but in total it was a pretty miserable offensive performance for Arizona.

Of course, Panthers QB Jake Delhomme only completed 12-of-25 passes for 157 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but Goings’ 121 yards and three scores were enough to earn the win and end the Cards’ winning streak.

It was the first of four straight losses, and the skid took the Cardinals out of the playoff picture.